Twice Upon a Lifetime

Spanning Kenya in 2003 and Sri Lanka in 2022, Ayathurai Santhan's novel weaves together two timelines to explore memory, displacement, and belonging through the lens of personal journeys. As protagonist Siva navigates a safari adventure in Kenya and later travels through post-war Sri Lanka during its 2022 economic crisis, the narrative uncovers tensions between communities, the complexities of coexistence, and how fragile trust and memory truly are. Through these interlocking geographies and journeys, Santhan examines historicization and the deeper question of where one truly belongs.